Folding gate.



m. 639,40l. Patented Dec. I9, 1899.

J. s. P. KINMAN.

FOLDING GATE.

(Application filed Dec. 15, 1898.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l,

N0. 6159,4115. V Patented Dec. l9, I899. .1. s. P. KINMAN.

FOLDING GATE.

(A liczion filed Dec. 15, 1898.) (No Model.)

2 Shets8heet 2,

' NITED Sa'rns JESSE S. P. KINMAN, OF DILLON, ILLINOIS.

FOLDING GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 639,401, dated December 19, 1899.

Application filed December 15,1898. $erial No. 699,338. (No model.)

Be it known that I, JESSE S. P. KINMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dillon, in the county of Tazewell and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Folding Gate, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in folding gates.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of folding gates and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient one, possessing great strength and durability, and adapted to be conveniently operated and quickly opened and closed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a gate which will not be liable toget out of order and which will be unaffected in its opening and closing movement by heavy winds.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a gate constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the gate folded. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail perspective view of one end of the supporting-frame. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail perspective views of the front and rear rollers. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail perspective view of the latch. Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the latch applied to the gate.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawlngs.

1 designates a pair of sills forniinga supporting-frame and connected by transverse bars 2 and spaced apart to provide an intervening space, in which a gate 3 is adapted to fold to open it. The transverse bars 2 are embeddedin the ground, and the longitudinal sills 1, which are provided at their ends with recesses 4, have beveled or outwardly-inclined upper faces 5, which are reinforced at their highest points at opposite sides of the intervening space or opening 6 with longitudinal strips 7 of suitable metal. The metal strips,

which are seen red to the sills by any suitable fastening devices, are adapted to prevent the inner edges of the same from being worn by vehicles passing over them, and the inclined faces of the sills are adapted to prevent obstructions from accuni ulating and interfering with the operation of the gate.

The recesses 4, which are arranged in pairs at the inner faces of the sills, receive bearing boxes 8, provided with opposite bearings 9 for journals 10 and 11 of rollers 12 and 13,

located, respectively, at the back and front of the gate and secured to the end bars 14 and 15 thereof. The bearing-boxes 8, which are provided at the upper edges of their sides with flanges 16, have their bottoms depressed at 17, and the bearings 9 are located at opposite sides of the depressions 17. The journals of the rollers are arranged in the same plane as the lower faces of the sills, and the depressions 17 receive the depending portions of the rollers. The roller 12, which is located at the back of the gate, is provided with an upwardly-extending arm 18, provided with a groove to receive the lower end of the bar 15, and the other roller 13, which is disposed at the front of the gate, is provided with an arm 19, which is grooved to receive the end bar 14 and which is extended laterally of the gate to one end of the roller to providea stop which abuts against the adjacent sill to limit the movement of the gate.

The gate is composed of the end bars 14 and 15, upper and lower horizontal rails 20, and vertical pickets 21, pivoted to the rails and located alternately at opposite sides thereof, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings, whereby the gate is adapted to fold compactly when swung downward.

The gate is provided with a pivoted latchbar 22, adapted to swing upward and downward and provided with a pin or arm 23, adapted to engage a keeper 24 of a latch-post 25, which is L-shaped in cross-section and se-- cured at its lower end to the adjacent sill at the inner end of one of the recesses thereof. The front end bar 14; of the gate is provided with a slot 26 to receive the pin or arm of the latch-bar 22, and the inner end of the latter is mounted on a pivot 27. The outer end of the latch-bar is connected by a chain 28 with a pair of links 29, that have their upper ends to cause it to complete the opening movement by gravity. When the gate is swung upward,

its momentum will cause it to complete the closing movement and will carry the arm of the latch in engagement with the keeper of the latch-post.

The invention has the following advan-' tages: The gate, which is simple and inexpensive in construction, is strong and durable, and it is easily operated and is not liable to get out of order. The gate is capable of opening and closing quickly, and its operation is not aifected by heavy winds.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

What Iclaim is 1. The combination with a suitable support having an opening, of transverse rollers journaled on the support and provided with arms, one of the arms being extended laterally and arranged -to engage the support, and a folding gate carried by the arms and arranged to fold within the said opening, the upward movement of the gate being limited by the said lateral extension of the arms, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination of a supporting-frame composed of parallel sills spaced apart and provided at their ends with recesses, a post constructed of angle-iron and secured to one of the sills at one of the recesses thereof, a folding gate having transverse rollers journaled in the said recesses, and a pivoted latch mounted on the gate and adapted to engage the post, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a folding gate provided at one end with a slot, a latch-bar pivoted to the gate, engaging the slot and provided with an arm, a stationary post provided with akeeper arranged to be engaged by the arm of the latch-bar, and operating mechanism connected with the latter, substantially as described.

t. The combination of a folding gate, posts located at opposite sides of the gate, a crossbar connecting the posts and located beyond the adjacent end of the gate, a chain connected with the gate and extending to the opposite side of the cross-bar and adapted to bear against the latter to throw the gate downward, and operating-levers fulcruined on the posts and connected with the chain, substantially as described.

5. The combination with afolding gate provided with a latch adapted to retain it in its closed position, of uprights, a horizontal bar or rod supported by the uprights, a pair of horizontally-swinging levers fulcrumed on the uprights, and a flexible connection between the inner ends of the levers and the latch, said flexible connection being extended beneath the horizontal bar or rod and adapted to engage the same, substantially described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aftixed my signaturein the presence of two witnesses.

JESSE S. P. KINMAN.

Witnesses:

WALTER M. SHoTwELL, J OHNATHAN Z. BENNET. 

